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Reach out, don't be afraid. I've had that same feeling before: You want to open the feeder lines of communication but you don't know exactly what to say; let me help you. Share an idea with me, shoot me a suggestion, tell me never to wear socks with sandals, or just tell me how improve; I welcome it all.

Break the routine looks to advise and guide city dwellers and suburbanites alike to think smart by different about their time and money. My goal is to provide financial wellness education, spare-time management techniques and suggestions for fun and fulfilling free time around the city I love. Through these shared articles, influences, and improved life techniques I hope you create your own plan and act on them immediately. I'm here to help and inspire you.

Financial Advice

It's a jungle out there for the consumer. In every industry, whether you're hailing a car and have to decide between Uber, Lyft, Hailo, etc. or have to choose between an online brokerage, how do you know what is the best option for you? To complicate matters even further, while the established platforms claw for your attention to switch over (i.e. promotions on Lyft) there is an unrelenting pressure from the new kids on the block to check out their "colorful feathers" and new technological breakthroughs (i.e. Juno offering free rides in Manhattan).

Your grandmother has probably squeezed your cheeks and reassured you that you're going to be successful one day, your mother has utmost faith in the same proclamation and you internally believe so as well but don't let that encouragement creep into your wallet and bank on future income so that you spend everything you have now. You are never too young to start saving for your future.

The B company global movement has been a recent recognition project of over 1,000 companies that meet certain sustainable business practices. While the guidelines are laid out in the legislation attached to the initiative, the mission is clear, drive companies to act more responsibly. Many of the B companies are private but their strokes in the right direction will soon influence the larger players in their industries. The mission has in fact resonated with larger corporations as shareholders and the investing community has become obsessed with sustainability metrics. Although not required by securities law, large corporations can voluntarily provide Environment/Social/Guidance (ESG) data to their shareholders (and prospective) to help display their "social responsibility" to investors.

Often times I get asked by friends, "how many credit cards do you have?" or "What type of credit card do you have?" The basis for these questions I believe stem from people's total ignorance of credit and credit building. Too many people view credit cards as a source of evil and not as an opportunity. If you are diligent about paying off your monthly balances and consistently using your cards then it is ok to have more than one credit cards and spend on all of them. When you are young, it is really important to build up good credit because when you eventually need to finance an important life decision, you will want to get the lowest rates possible and the amount of money you truly need.

It is my great pleasure to sit down with close friends and work through any financial confusions they have. One friend in particular I always enjoy speaking with because he brings this unique passion and energy to learn new concepts and shines a fresh smile whenever we go off on our stock market tangents. Tonight was a unique session however, as we sat down over dinner and I asked him some profiling questions to better understand what type of investor and saver he is.

Finally signed up for Betterment after months of restraint. I am a fairly active investor and did not feel the need to overly exposure myself to the same investment vehicles and strategies I have set in place already. After much debate I figured it was worth the education factor to see how it works, especially if I am going to be suggesting it as a potential solution to some of my advisees.

I don’t claim to be a guru of financial stability and smart spending but I think I have my head screwed on tight enough in the area to speak on the matter. Most people know how much they make before taxes, have a good understanding of what they receive in their bank account with their weekly/monthly paychecks and know what their big expenses are. I think I can speak for most of us 20 something year olds in New York City when I say that rent eats up a lot of our paychecks. It is certainly helpful to know how much of your after tax income goes to rent (Mine sits at about 35%). After rent is taken care of though, we lose our spending habits into the abyss of temptations and impulses. Some of us have shopping addictions, love partying, dine out way too frequently or have some creative hobby that drains our wallet. With all of these spheres of influences, how do you maintain rigidity in the face of spending pressures?